The Song of Deliverance

“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.”

Revelation 15:3

 

Music has ever been and will ever be connected with God’s marvelous works. Consider when this world was created. Wouldn’t it have been exciting to watch as the earth came into existence to see the sun appear from nowhere and in the darkness of the first night suddenly the moon appears? Can you imagine watching vegetation develop and seeing hundreds and thousands of varieties of creatures, from the tiny insects to the mighty leviathan, created before your very eyes? And then to see man made in the image of God?

I know you would have joined with the angels to sing with them as they praised God as we read in Job, “The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7)!

And what about the Saviour’s birth some four thousand years later? Mystery of mysteries! The Son of God, the Creator of the universe becomes a helpless babe in a manger; born of flesh to show us how to overcome Satan. Wouldn’t it have been thrilling to have been out there watching with the shepherds and suddenly to hear and see thousands of angels singing, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14)?

And what about Christ’s triumphant return to heaven after His crucifixion and resurrection? Oh, how the angels sang as they neared heaven. Death had been conquered. The resurrection of the saints was now assured. Listen as the angels sang as we read in Psalm 24:7–9: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.”

Let us consider two other mighty events connected with music. First, we shall consider the song of Moses inspired by the divine deliverance, the mighty deliverance at the Red Sea; and second, the song of the Lamb when the greatest of all anthems will be sung around the throne of God on the sea of glass. It will be a song that the millions of redeemed will sing.

“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and His rider hath He thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my Father’s God, and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:1, 2).

So reads some 16 verses. Every word so full of meaning, of war, of horses, of chariots which are cast into the sea, of a glorious triumph, a song of victory, but in order for us to catch the full significance we must review for a few moments the circumstances. God had revealed to Abraham centuries before that his children would become slaves for exactly 400 years, then they finally would receive the promised home in Canaan.

In Genesis 15:13, 14: “And He said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.”

The four hundred years had nearly been fulfilled. Only a fraction of time remained. Notice how God faithfully carries out His promise. Exodus 12:51: “And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.” [Emphasis supplied.]

You can count on God who never fails to keep His word. Think of it – only 24 hours remained in the 400-year period. And now God through Moses tells His people: Tomorrow, Pharaoh will let you go a free people. The Scripture says it happened “the selfsame day.” Free at last! The Bible states in Exodus 13:20, “And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.” God led the way out of Egypt.

“He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people” (verse 22). What a God! Not only does He direct them by the cloud but He considers every need, even the physical needs. He provides a canopy to protect them from the desert heat of the day, and by night, He provides a burning fiery cloud to give warmth in the desert chill and to provide light in the darkness.

Thus it was that God led them to encamp at the edge of the Red Sea on a vast sandy plain, an area large enough for an encampment of some two million, with all their animals. Here they were surrounded by a rocky defile, the mountains running down into the very edge of the sea. At this spot the sea is some eight miles across. An Egyptian garrison is located just to the north. There is no possible way of escape. Word is brought to King Pharaoh of their situation. We read in Exodus 14:3: “For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.”

Can you catch the picture as the children are encamped? Suddenly there is a shout of fear. They look behind them and they see 600 chosen chariots plus all the chariots of Egypt coming after them. This was the mightiest army in the world at that time, coming to enslave them once again, forcing them to return to Egypt. Before them is a vast sea of water, eight miles across. There is no bridge, no ships; they are surrounded by rugged mountains obstructing their way. Behind them they see the flashing armor reflected in the sunlight. This army is led by the king himself, guided by the pagan priests of Egypt. Humanly speaking there is positively no way of escape.

But that’s only half the story. What they did not know was the depth of the sea before them. Archaeologists claim to have found the very spot on the Red Sea where the children of Israel crossed. What had never been seen before in modern times were two columns of stone, some 20 feet high, two to three feet across, one on either side of this crossing. And on these stones was discovered the words inscribed by King Solomon who erected these pillars to commemorate the Divine deliverance of the children of Israel.

Terror filled the Israelite’s hearts as they saw the army coming and they cried to Moses. Verse 12 says, “Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.” But Moses knew just what was about to happen.

In Patriarchs and Prophets, 283, are these revealing words: “It was revealed to him [Moses] that Pharaoh would pursue them, but that God would be honored in their deliverance.” Let us never forget the promises of God as we near the end when we will be facing impossible situations. In Amos 3:7 we read, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” Thanks for the Spirit of Prophecy that has given us such wonderful details of what we can expect. And so Moses speaks with positive assurance.

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:13, 14). Immediately, God takes action. That cloudy column rises majestically into the heavens and passes over the Israelites, descending behind them, separating Israel from the enemy. What a surprise! The cloud gives light in the night to Israel but total darkness to the enemy.

And now comes the command. Verse 15: “And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.”

Imagine! Go forward? How? There’s no bridge, no boats, no rafts, it’s too far to swim, but by faith they did advance right up to the very water’s edge. Then Moses lifts his rod. One more step and the leader will be in the water. But wonder of wonders the sea divides before them. A mighty miracle is wrought by God and a path opens before them through the midst of the sea.

Remember, it is night. Patriarchs and Prophets, 287: “The light from God’s pillar of fire shone upon the foam-capped billows, and lighted the road that was cut like a mighty furrow through the waters of the sea, and was lost in the obscurity of the farther shore.” So, two million people with their flocks and herds follow the lighted path and walk on dry ground. The water stands on either side like a wall. Exodus 15:8: “And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.” According to the Hebrew and Chaldea dictionary that you will find in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, the word congealed means frozen water. In other words, God formed two walls of ice, forming a perfectly safe path to cross the watery deep.

The Psalmist has declared in chapter 77, verses 19 and 20, “Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters, and Thy footsteps are not known. Thou leddest Thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”

Now the suspense deepens. The Egyptians have pursued the Israelites. As the Israelites are coming up on the other side and are out of the sea, the Egyptians are right behind them when suddenly God’s marvelous black cloud that has been a cloud of protection turns to a pillar of fire.

As morning breaks, the Israelites have safely reached the other side in Arabia. From a night of terrible peril God has brought complete deliverance. Jehovah alone has made Israel’s deliverance possible. Only by faith and faith alone did they go forward.

Now the Spirit of God rests upon Moses. He leads the freed slaves in a triumphant anthem. It’s the song of Moses. “I will sing unto Jehovah, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song” (Exodus 15:1, 2, first part). Can’t you just hear two million singing such praises? Oh, how they must have sung! They had been freed from 400 years of slavery. Now they are totally free.

“That song does not belong to the Jewish people alone. It points forward to the destruction of all the foes of righteousness and the final victory of the Israel of God. The prophet of Patmos beholds the white-robed multitude that have ‘gotten the victory,’ standing on the ‘sea of glass mingled with fire,’ having ‘the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb’ (Revelation 15:2, 3).” Patriarchs and Prophets, 289.

Humanly speaking, we too have an impossible ordeal to face. Said the Psalmist in chapter 115:1: “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth’s sake.”

Have we considered lately what God hath done for us? How He has made it possible for us to be delivered from the power of sin if we will only follow the path that He has made for us? “In freeing our souls from the bondage of sin, God has wrought for us a deliverance greater than that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. Like the Hebrew host, we should praise the Lord with heart and soul and voice for His ‘wonderful works to the children of men’ (Psalm 107:8).” Patriarchs and Prophets, 289.

Our hearts should be filled with the melody of gladness when we consider the daily blessings of food and clothing and shelter and health and the loved ones that surround us. All of these are blessings from the hand of God.

But above our temporal blessings consider for a moment what the death of Jesus means to you and me personally. He has brought the happiness of heaven within our reach. Because of His matchless love we are now called the children of God. We can look for a life that never ends all because of His matchless sacrifice on Calvary. Praise Him for a heavenly inheritance! Praise Him for His boundless promises! Praise Him that Jesus lives to intercede in the sanctuary above for us!

“Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me” (Psalm 50:23). All the angels of heaven unite in praising God. Let us begin learning that song that we are going to sing that we may soon join the ranks of the angels. Said the Psalmist, “While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being” (Psalm 146:2). “Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee” (Psalm 67:5).

One of the most beautiful and comforting passages of Isaiah refers to that pillar of cloud of fire revealing God’s care for us in the final struggles just ahead. “In that day [referring to the end of the world] shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain” (Isaiah 4:2–6).

Isn’t it beautiful that we can expect again the Lord to cover us with His glory and take care of us as He did the children of Israel in the coming time of trouble?

But now notice a contrast of those who are within the church today claiming to be Christians but have never surrendered to God. “And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by Thy name, to take away our reproach” (Isaiah 4:1). These seven women are not pure women; they are impure. We are told they are taking hold of one man. The one man is Christ. They don’t want to follow His word; they don’t want to accept the Bread of Life. It says, they “will eat their own bread.” They have cooked up their own new theology based on manmade false doctrines upon which they are feeding. They even dress contrary to God’s way, refusing to put on His robe of righteousness which is given only to the obedient. They do not want to obey. All they want is His name, to be called Christians but refusing the clean, white fine linen which is the righteousness of Christ which God will place upon all who overcome every sin before He comes. Righteousness is sinlessness.

God’s saints are commandment keepers. They love Christ. “If ye love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). They are ready to be married to Christ. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God” (Revelation 19:7–9).

Are we ready for this experience?

God had a purpose in bringing Israel to the Red Sea. He chose this method to test their faith. With the enemy at their back, with mountains on either side, with an impassible sea before them, God gave the command, “Go forward.” What if they had hesitated? What if they had not gone forward until their feet reached the water’s edge? The result – God would have never opened up a path in the sea. “By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned” (Hebrews 11:29).

“In marching down to the very water, they showed that they believed the word of God as spoken by Moses. They did all that was in their power to do, and then the Mighty One of Israel divided the sea to make a path for their feet.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 290.

This lesson is for us today. We who are living in this time of the end will find that at times duty seems hard to perform. Both the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy picture a coming crisis, humanly speaking, that can only bring bondage and death, yet God speaks, “Go forward.” We must obey His command even though our eyes cannot penetrate the gathering darkness, even though the cold waves are gathering about our feet. We must remember that the obstacles that hinder our spiritual progress will never disappear before a halting and a doubting spirit.

“Those who defer obedience till every shadow of uncertainty disappears and there remains no risk of failure or defeat, will never obey at all. Unbelief whispers, ‘Let us wait till the obstructions are removed, and we can see our way clearly;’ but faith courageously urges an advance, hoping all things, believing all things.” Ibid.

The cloud of darkness to the Egyptians was to the Hebrews a flood of light. While the world is daily encountering a hopeless darkness in these days the soul trusting in God’s word will be filled with a light of peace. The Lord is about to deliver His people and He alone can give the victory.

“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints.”

By the grace of God, His people will someday soon sing this song.

For more than fifty years, Lawrence Nelson served the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a church pastor, evangelist, and then in Conference, Union, and General Conference leadership. When God laid upon him the responsibility to “tell it like it is” to alert the people how the church was leading them into the worldwide ecumenical movement, he was forbidden to preach in any church within the Oregon Conference. Elder Nelson passed to his rest on April 18, 2012.